8904352

Systems and methods for processing source code during debugging operations

PublishedDecember 2, 2014
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Technical Abstract

Patent Claims
17 claims

Legal claims defining the scope of protection. Each claim is shown in both the original legal language and a plain English translation.

Claim 1

Original Legal Text

1. A computer-implemented method of processing source code having corresponding executable code, comprising: displaying, on a display device and during debugging of the source code, a screen including a first section, wherein a variable name included in the source code is displayed in a first format in the first section and the variable name includes a plurality of characters; receiving a user selection of the variable name; converting, by using a processor, the variable name from the first format to a second format in response to the user selection, the variable name identifying a variable implemented in the source code, wherein converting the first format of the variable name to the second format includes converting the characters to uppercase; searching for a corresponding variable name in the executable code by using the variable name in the second format as a search parameter; and displaying, on the display device, a second section including the corresponding variable name, wherein the variable name is displayed in a third format in the second section, and displaying the variable name in the third format includes converting a first character of a word in the variable name to uppercase, and converting a second character of the word to lowercase.

Plain English Translation

During debugging, a screen displays source code with variable names shown in a specific format in one section. When a user selects a variable name, the system converts it to uppercase. It then searches for the same variable in the executable code using the uppercase version. Finally, it displays the found variable name in another section of the screen, formatted with the first letter of each word capitalized and the second letter set to lowercase. This helps developers quickly locate and examine variable values across source and executable code.

Claim 2

Original Legal Text

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first section is a source code section for displaying source code and the second section is a symbol section for displaying the variable name and a value of the variable.

Plain English Translation

The method described previously, where a screen displays source code with variable names that can be selected and converted to uppercase for searching, utilizes a source code section to display the source code itself. A separate symbol section displays the variable name and its current value during debugging. This allows for a focused view on code and related variable information.

Claim 3

Original Legal Text

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first section is displayed after detection of an error in the source code.

Plain English Translation

The method described previously, where a screen displays source code with variable names that can be selected and converted to uppercase for searching, is initiated when an error is detected in the source code during debugging. The display of the source code section showing the variable names and allowing selection only occurs after an error has been identified.

Claim 4

Original Legal Text

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the variable name in the third format includes converting the characters from uppercase to lowercase.

Plain English Translation

The method described previously, where a screen displays source code with variable names that can be selected and converted to uppercase for searching, displays the found variable name by converting all characters to lowercase. This provides a consistent display format for variable names.

Claim 5

Original Legal Text

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the variable in the third format includes converting the characters from uppercase to camel case.

Plain English Translation

The method described previously, where a screen displays source code with variable names that can be selected and converted to uppercase for searching, displays the found variable name using camel case formatting. Camel case is a naming convention where the first word is lowercase, and each subsequent word starts with an uppercase letter (e.g., myVariableName).

Claim 6

Original Legal Text

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first format is a predetermined format used to define the variable name during writing of the source code.

Plain English Translation

The method described previously, where a screen displays source code with variable names that can be selected and converted to uppercase for searching, displays variable names using a predetermined format used when writing the source code. This indicates that the initial format of the variable names displayed is the standard coding style used in the project.

Claim 7

Original Legal Text

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the third format is the same as the first format, and displaying the variable name in the third format includes selecting the variable name from the first section for display in the second section after searching for the corresponding variable name has been completed by using the variable name in the second format.

Plain English Translation

Building upon the method where a screen displays source code with variable names that can be selected and converted to uppercase for searching, the third format (used in the second section) is identical to the first format (used in the first section). The action of displaying the variable name in the second section involves simply selecting and copying the variable name from the first section after the search using the uppercase format is complete.

Claim 8

Original Legal Text

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: displaying a notification after searching for the corresponding variable name has been completed by using the variable name in the second format, the notification prompting a user to select a format for displaying the variable name in the second section; receiving the selection of the format; and displaying the variable name in the second section and in the third based on the selection of the format by the user.

Plain English Translation

Expanding on the method where a screen displays source code with variable names that can be selected and converted to uppercase for searching, the process now includes a notification displayed after the search is complete. This notification prompts the user to choose how the variable name should be formatted in the second section. Once the user selects a format, the variable name is displayed in the second section using the chosen formatting.

Claim 9

Original Legal Text

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: detecting an error in the source code during operation of an application program based on the source code; generating an error message including descriptive information describing the detected error; and displaying the screen when a correction patch is not available to correct the error, wherein the correction patch is searched for by using the descriptive information.

Plain English Translation

Expanding on the method where a screen displays source code with variable names that can be selected and converted to uppercase for searching, this also involves detecting errors in the source code during the operation of the application. When an error occurs, an error message is generated with details about the error. If a correction patch (automatic fix) isn't available, the screen is then displayed allowing selection of variable names, and the search for a fix is attempted using information from the error message.

Claim 10

Original Legal Text

10. A system for processing source code having corresponding executable code, comprising: a display device for displaying, during debugging of the source code, a screen including a first section, wherein a variable name included in the source code is displayed in a first format in the first section and the variable name includes a plurality characters; an input device for receiving a user selection of the variable name; a memory device having instructions to modify the screen being displayed in the display device; and a data processor executing the instructions to: convert the first format of the variable name to a second format in response to the user selection, the variable name identifying a variable implemented in the source code, wherein the variable name includes a plurality of characters and converting the first format of the variable name to the second format includes converting the characters to uppercase; search for a corresponding variable name in the executable code by using the variable name in the second format as a search parameter; and display a second section including the corresponding variable name, wherein the variable name is displayed in a third format in the second section, and displaying the variable name in the third format includes converting a first character of a word in the variable name to uppercase, and converting a second character of the word to lowercase.

Plain English Translation

The system enhances debugging of source code by improving the visualization and searchability of variable names between source and executable code. During debugging, a display shows a variable name from the source code in a first format, typically all lowercase or mixed case. When a user selects this variable, the system converts it to uppercase for searching in the executable code, which often uses a different naming convention. The system then displays the matching variable from the executable code in a third format, where the first letter of each word is capitalized and subsequent letters are lowercase. This transformation ensures consistency in presentation and facilitates easier identification of variables across different code representations. The system includes a display device for showing the debugging interface, an input device for user interaction, a memory storing the transformation logic, and a processor executing the instructions to perform the format conversions and searches. This approach addresses the challenge of mismatched naming conventions between source and executable code, improving debugging efficiency by providing a unified and standardized view of variable names.

Claim 11

Original Legal Text

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein displaying the variable name in the third format includes converting the characters from uppercase to camel case.

Plain English Translation

Within the system described previously, where a screen displays source code with variable names that can be selected and converted to uppercase for searching, the system can also display the variable in the second section using camel case. Camel case is a naming convention where the first word is lowercase, and each subsequent word starts with an uppercase letter (e.g., myVariableName).

Claim 12

Original Legal Text

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first format is a predetermined format used to define the variable name during writing of the source code.

Plain English Translation

In the system described previously, where a screen displays source code with variable names that can be selected and converted to uppercase for searching, the first format used is a predefined format used when the source code was originally written. This means the variable names are initially displayed in their standard coding style.

Claim 13

Original Legal Text

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the third format is identical to the first format, and displaying the variable name in the third format includes selecting the variable name from the first section for display in the second section after searching for the corresponding variable name has been completed by using the variable name in the second format.

Plain English Translation

Building on the debugging system where a screen displays source code with variable names that can be selected and converted to uppercase for searching, the system displays the variable name in the second section in the same format as the source code section. This is done by simply selecting and copying the variable from the first section after the system has searched for the corresponding variable using the uppercase version.

Claim 14

Original Legal Text

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of processing source code having corresponding executable code, the method comprising: displaying, during debugging of the source code, a screen including a first section, wherein a variable name included in the source code is displayed in a first format in the first section and the variable name includes a plurality of characters; receiving a user selection of the variable name; converting the first format of the variable to a second format in response to the user selection, the variable name identifying a variable implemented in the source code, wherein converting the first format of the variable name to the second format includes converting the characters to uppercase; searching for a corresponding variable name in the executable code by using the variable name in the second format as a search parameter; and displaying a second section including the corresponding variable name, wherein the variable name is displayed in a third format in the second section, and displaying the variable name in the third format includes converting a first character of a word in the variable name to uppercase, and converting a second character of the word to lowercase.

Plain English Translation

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium holds instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform a method for debugging source code. The method involves displaying a screen showing source code with variable names in a specific format. When a user selects a variable name, it's converted to uppercase, and a search is performed in the executable code for a matching name. The found name is displayed in another section, formatted with the first letter of each word capitalized and the second letter set to lowercase, to aid developers in locating variables during debugging.

Claim 15

Original Legal Text

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein displaying the variable name in the third format includes converting the characters from uppercase to camel case.

Plain English Translation

Building on the storage medium described previously, where a screen displays source code with variable names that can be selected and converted to uppercase for searching, the instructions, when executed, can also display the found variable name using camel case. Camel case is a naming convention where the first word is lowercase, and each subsequent word starts with an uppercase letter (e.g., myVariableName).

Claim 16

Original Legal Text

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the first format is a predetermined format used to define the variable name during writing of the source code.

Plain English Translation

In the storage medium described previously, where a screen displays source code with variable names that can be selected and converted to uppercase for searching, the first format used is a predefined format used when the source code was originally written. This means the variable names are initially displayed in their standard coding style.

Claim 17

Original Legal Text

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the third format is identical to the first format, and displaying the variable name in the third format includes selecting the variable name from the first section for display in the second section after searching for the corresponding variable name has been completed by using the variable name in the second format.

Plain English Translation

Building on the storage medium for debugging where a screen displays source code with variable names that can be selected and converted to uppercase for searching, the third format (used in the second section) is identical to the first format (used in the first section). The instructions, when executed, simply select and copy the variable name from the first section after the search using the uppercase format is complete.

Patent Metadata

Filing Date

Unknown

Publication Date

December 2, 2014

Inventors

Udo Klein
Daniel Hutzel

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